Toronto based artist Ester Pugliese creates atmospheric multi media work on wood panel. Each piece is steeped in the observation and appreciation of nature, and acts as a reflection of our ever-changing environment.
Her works are made up of many layers, each one emerging from the one below it. This results in overgrown crystallizations and floating colour forms on their brightly colour surfaces. There is a consistent use of contrast in these works, with the organic and the linear competing to be the focal point. Pugliese shifts her subjects back and forth between abstraction and representation, allowing natural depiction to give way to explorations of line and texture. Their centralized weight and engaging compositions put them in conversation with the practice of still life painting, yet pushes the tradition almost past recognition.
Ester Pugliese's body of work is both visually captivating and impressively concentrated, showing her dedication to their development and exploration. Their titles take their charm to the next level, referencing weather reports and temperature gauges we are all familiar with. While their small size is inviting, we would love to see these works at a much larger scale so we could be fully immersed in them!
